Contemplations from quakey quirky Christchurch

Anglian Alphabet – E

E is for Egyptian House

The Egyptian House, Penzance

This was the building we saw from our hotel window in Penzance. It was built in 1835 by John Lavin, and is “an outstanding and exotic building of national importance in the history of 19th century Egyptian revival architecture”. The style was developed following Napoleon’s military campaign in 1798.

E is also for Edith Cavell

Edith Cavell was born in 1865 in a small village just south of Norwich. She trained as a nurse and in 1905 was in charge of a pioneering training school for lay nurses in Brussels. During the war she was instrumental in assisting 200 stranded Allied soldiers to escape from occupied Belgium to neutral Holland. In 1915 Edith was arrested by the German Military authorities, tried in secret, and executed by firing squad. The Allies acclaimed her as a martyr and within eight weeks of her death recruitment into the British Army had doubled (this was before conscription). Edith is buried at Norwich Cathedral, and there is a statue of her there.

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Ruth, did you find time to visit Florence Nightingale’s museum in London, its next to ST Thomas’s Hospital near the Thames.. worth a visit.. Pity England didnt start Registration of Nursing before they did in 1919, New Zealand leads the world for Registration of Nursing,the first No.1 is buried here at Clareville Cemetery, Ellen Dougherty, trained in Wellington Hospital. was Palmerston North First Matron.. I am to give the Wellington Museum of City and Sail her history and photograph for their collection.
I remember visiting Norwich early 1970s, my relations bought a bed and breakfast near by, we were to help them, but decided to return to NZ instead..